Review by Coventry Thompson

“Moana 2” was a sequel I certainly did not expect Disney to create. However, knowing Disney, and Hollywood’s propensity for sequels and milking money cows dry, I should not have been entirely surprised.

The film was originally planned to be an original series streaming on Disney+. However, it was announced in February 2024 that the sequel would be formatted into a movie and set for a theatrical release

Many Disney fans, myself included, were disappointed to find out that Lin-Manuel Miranda, who created the music for the first Moana movie, would not be making music for the sequel.

The first film, “Moana,” came out on Nov. 23, 2016 and was a huge success, having a 95% score on Rotten Tomatoes. In essence, the film is about a young woman named Moana who has had a calling to explore the ocean since she was a child. However, since she is the daughter of her island’s chief, she is pressured to let go of her dreams and prepare to lead her people. However, after discovering that her island is dying, Moana decides to risk it all by leaving and embarking on a quest to save her island by restoring the heart of a living island named Te Fiti. She achieves this goal by learning to become a wayfinder with the help of a demi-god named Maui.

The sequel was released on Nov. 27, and was directed by David G. Derrick Jr., Jason Hand and Dana Ledoux Miller, and takes place a couple of years after the original. Moana, voiced by Auli’i Cravalho, is now a respected leader that is teaching others in her community the art of wayfinding. After receiving a sign from her ancestors, Moana sets off to find the island of Montufetu and hopes that finding the island will unite all the people of the ocean. With help from her new companions Loto (Rose Matafeo), Moni(Hualalai Chung), Kele (David Fane) and the demi-god Maui (Dwayne Johnson), Moana resurrects the island of Montufetu and meets other people of the ocean.

My first impression of “Moana 2” was that the music, written by Barlow and Bear, definitely did not live up to the music of the first film. Iconic songs from “Moana” such as “How Far I’ll Go” still get stuck in my head from time to time; the music of the sequel simply does not measure up. I could not name or sing any of the songs from the film purely from memory. I find it likely that music from the film won’t be remembered at all a few years from now.

The plot itself is pretty good. It brings in a new cast of characters and explores a new side of Moana’s story as she now has to lead and teach others. However, after seeing the movie, I couldn’t help noticing the similarities to another sequel, “Frozen 2,” which is also made by Walt Disney Animation Studio. Both films explore characters going to a new and unexplored land, and Moana has a similar character arc to Elsa in “Frozen 2.” Overall, the plot is pretty strong, and it introduces audiences to new aspects of Pacific Island culture, and, Simea, Moana’s little sister, is an adorable addition to the cast.

In terms of Disney sequels, “Moana 2” is above average as it adds some- thing new to the world and character. However, it was not as good as “Inside Out 2” which came out last summer.

Overall, I would give “Moana 2” a six out of ten rating. It does not quite measure up to the original, but it gives Disney’s wayfinder princess a good and heartwarming ending. Let’s just hope that Disney decides to end the series here and focuses more on original content.

Moana with her new companions Kele (David Fane), Moni (Hualalai Chung), and Loto (Rose Matafeo). Image source Disney.com